Daleel with SP Singh features Devinder Sharma, one of India’s renowned agriculture and food security-related policies’ analyst, discussing Congress’ NYAY, Universal Basic Income, Poverty and Politics in Elections.

WSN invites you to view this thought-provoking discussion on what is the Universal Basic Income Framework and how is it going to work in India. What has been the experience of other world economies and what impact it will have on the general elections in India?

This show discusses whether and if a minimum guaranteed income by the state will work for the few million poorest of the poor in India.

With the Modi government floating the PM-KISAN scheme, giving Rs 6,000 a year to marginal farmers, and Rahul Gandhi responding with the Congress’ promise to give Rs 6,000 a month in cash to 20% of the country’s poor, India is taking gingerly steps towards a Universal Basic Income framework.

While the Congress is saying that the outlay for the existing schemes, like MNREGA, Food Security etc, will not be discontinued to bring in its Nyay – Nyuntam Aay Yojana – experts say a Rs 6,000 per month largesse to 5 crore poor families will result in a Rs 3.6 lakh crore expenditure, half of India’s estimated fiscal deficit for 2019-20.

Devinder Sharma, one of India’s renowned agriculture and food security-related policies’ analyst, argues that NYAY can actually work in India, though no one is sure if it will first work for Congress.

The conversation focuses on the fact that the Modi government’s own Economic Survey 2016-2017 estimated that the Universal Basic Income could significantly reduce poverty if it covered 75 per cent of the population. In June 2017, Arun Jaitley backed the UBI idea proposed by Arvind Subramanian but said it may not be politically feasible in India concluded that “the The Economic Survey 2016-2017 concluded that Mahatma Gandhi “would have been conflicted by the idea but, on balance, might have endorsed it.”

WSN is proud to fea­ture se­nior jour­nal­ist, SP Singh’s work. Aimed at the in­tel­li­gent, ar­gu­men­ta­tive, ed­u­cated Pun­jabi, “Daleel with SP Singh” re­mains highly con­tent dri­ven.

WSN will reg­u­larly share the YouTube video of his weekly show. SP Singh will engage you with contemporary political and social issues, but unlike the quintessential television debates, you will be proud of the layered, nuanced and inter-disciplinary approach. A few minutes into the show and you will realise that SP Singh will engage you, question you, provoke you, rattle you and even leave you numb at times.